Speculation grows over Newark City Council seat held by Payne

The clock has begun for the Newark City Council to name a replacement for Donald Payne Jr., who was elected to Congress, but the remaining eight council members appear to be deadlocked over whom to name until a special election can be held next year.The Star-Ledger

NEWARK — Congressman Donald Payne Jr. was sworn in to succeed his father Thursday.

He handed in his resignation as a Newark councilman on Friday.

But before Payne was even elected to the House of Representatives, the jockeying had begun for his city council seat and his successor as council president.

Starting yesterday, the clock began for the Newark City Council to name Payne’s replacement, but the remaining eight council members appear to be deadlocked over whom to name until a special election can be held next year.

As expected, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering involved in the council’s vote.

So far the most talked about person to fill the at-large seat is John Sharpe James, a decorated Afghanistan war veteran and the son of former Mayor Sharpe James.

"I ... respectfully request your support in being appointed," James wrote in a letter to the council last week, that was accompanied with his resume.

In the 2010 city election, James came in fifth out of four at-large seats. He was inched out by Councilman Carlos Gonzalez, a staunch Booker ally.

James is now pointing to 2005, when Councilman Donald Tucker died in office and the council voted to appoint Ras Baraka, the fifth highest vote-getter, as his replacement.

"The Council replaced him with the next highest vote getter and asked the State Legislature to amend state law to make this a mandatory format," James wrote.

The state did not make it mandatory and now James has to wrangle five votes, which is difficult in the best of circumstances.

James, an avowed opponent of Mayor Cory Booker, will face stiff resistance from the administration. Booker is pushing for a woman to take the seat.

"I believe that it is obvious that women in Newark are seriously under-represented on the council," said Booker’s chief of staff, Modia Butler.

One name that has come up around City Hall has been former acting superintendent Deborah Terrell, who on Friday said, "I’m not interested in Donald Payne’s seat on the city council at all."

Currently, two-term Councilwoman Mildred Crump is the only woman among the city’s legislators.

"Councilwoman Crump has long championed the need for more female representation on the council and I agree with her and fully support her on this issue," Butler said.

But Crump is backing James. "He was the next highest vote-getter," she said. "It takes the politics out of the choice because no one can insert themselves into the decision."

Rahaman Muhammad, a union leader and a big voice in city politics said there was a tentative deal for At-large Councilman Luis Quintana to be named president in exchange for his support for James, but the deal fell through.

"The deal was John would be appointed and Luis would become council president," Muhammad said.

Quintana was noncommittal when reached by phone.

"The only thing I can tell you is that I’m not committed to anything," he said.

"If they want to make me president I would be more than honored. As the longest serving councilman It’s something I think needs to be looked at," he said.

Muhammad and said with the stalemate, the council will likely punt the decision to voters rather than subject themselves to a tie that could be broken by Booker.

"What I think is it’s going to go to a special election because no one’s going to get five votes," he said.

The special election would take place in November 2013, city officials said. The next scheduled council meeting is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.